The gaming industry is one that appears entirely different from how it was 30 years ago. If there are a few sectors that have gone through more change than any other industry in the past decades, the gaming sector is up there on that list.
Avid gamers of the past 15 to 30 years have experienced a lot of that change firsthand. Whether you love playing on the best online casino or you are a huge enthusiast for sports games, you likely know about how much gaming has changed from the early console and computer days.
Even though gaming is radically different from its past, more changes are on the way. The advent of augmented reality, virtual reality, and game streaming services means that everything we know about the industry may be different in another few decades.
Below is how the gaming industry may look in the next 30 years.
Streaming Will Dominate
Most gaming industry experts believe that one of the key ways that the sector will change in the next 30 years is a heavy reliance on streaming. With internet connections so fast and low latency, people will have the ability to access any game they want to and on any screen.
There are already game streaming services, but they are not as popular as traditional methods of gaming. Services such as Google Stadia and Microsoft’s streaming service do not have a huge number of subscribers, as most people around the world do not have powerful enough internet connections to play these games smoothly.
Even when people do have access to high-quality internet, occasional spikes in the connection can cause a serious issue when playing games. Such an issue is especially evident when playing first-person shooter or sports games, where reaction time is so important to the result.
Within the next 30 years, internet speeds should improve sufficiently to allow for seamless streaming. That means a person could play a brand new, AAA game that is designed for consoles or high-end computers on their smartphone or older laptop.
AR and VR Will Be King
Another way that gaming may be radically different in 2050 is that most people will be playing augmented reality and virtual reality games. Virtual reality gaming is already becoming more popular, thanks to headsets such as the Oculus Quest 2.
Not only will more people have such headsets within the next 30 years, but most experts believe that headset quality will improve drastically. Companies are working hard to increase resolution, refresh rate, field of view, and other factors on VR headsets to make them more enjoyable.
With improved computer and internet technology, VR headsets may also become a lot lighter. That means people can comfortably put on a VR or AR headset for hours, which will likely ensure that such gaming goes mainstream.
Merging the Real and Virtual
One of the most exciting possibilities for gaming in the next 30 years is a complete blending of the real and virtual. Imagine a person being in an open field, putting on a pair of AR glasses, and being able to immerse themselves in a game within that space.
People playing virtual paintball within a live arena is one of the many possibilities with such technology. While gaming has a long way to go to achieve this kind of outcome, the foundations are already in place. What matters is the investment in relevant technologies and the buy-in from gaming enthusiasts and a wider audience.
Unforeseen Possibilities
One of the beauties of a constantly changing industry is that we cannot always see how the sector may appear in 15, 20, or 30 years. New technologies will result in styles of games that are not even invented right now.
The possibilities are endless in the gaming sector, and convergence with the business world is also a possibility. Games using AR or VR technology that allow someone to learn to drive a car, fly a plane, or perform surgery on a patient could be a reality sooner than most people realize.
Enjoy the Ride
The beauty of being a gaming enthusiast in 2022 is that you can enjoy so many avenues to play games. You can play your favorite games on computers, consoles, portable consoles, smartphones, virtual reality headsets, and much more.
Not only are the modes of gaming varied, but you can now purchase and interact with games differently as well. Game streaming means that you do not even need to have a direct connection to the game you are playing, as it can run on a server and stream to your device in real-time.
The next 30 years are likely to bring even more changes, with virtual and augmented reality taking over the gaming experience. Wearing incredibly portable AR/VR headsets or glasses and having games streamed to those devices may happen sooner than most people realize.
